The District government is releasing its request for proposals for a long-term ground lease for a city-owned lot at the corner of Florida and Sherman Avenues. The solicitation could go live as early as today or Monday, a city official told DCMud (Update, since original publication of this article the city has published the RFP). While one developer reportedly already has detailed plans for the site, the open bid puts one of the District's more visible sites up for bid in a neighborhood where developers are already planning extensive construction. |
| City-owned lot, corner of Florida and Sherman. Image: DMPED |
According to the Washington Post, developer JBG plans to bid on the lot and has announced a collaboration with national food retailer Harris Teeter that - if JBG wins the bid - would bring a grocery store to the site.
JBG already has a stake in the grocery store business in the area. In July, the DCist broke news about the company's plans to build a Trader Joe's in its apartment building now construction at 14th and U Street. JBG also controls the adjacent Atlantic Plumbing parcel, as well as the Florida Avenue parcel just a few blocks away, planning nearly 1000 apartment units in all, leaving little question as to its qualifications.
The area has so far not seen competing supermarkets. Howard University had plans with CastleRock Partners to put a grocery store at a planned mixed-use development, Howard Town Center, located at 2100-2146 Georgia Avenue. But the Howard Town Center project has suffered delays and there is no date to break ground in sight. There is also speculation about whether a grocery store at Florida and Sherman could hurt plans for a grocery store at Howard Town Center, and of course Shaw will soon have its own refurbished Giant in 18 months.
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| Florida Ave. Reconstruction Project. Image: DDOT |
The solicitation is likely to bring proposals from multiple bidders. Six bidders are competing to develop a nearby, city-owned lot called "Parcel 42"...and they are just the ones who made the short list.
Update: The city has now released the RFP, available in this link.
Washington, D.C. real estate news
5 comments:
That is going to be a cool neighborhood. I trust that JBG will have the fortitude to do it right and make it interesting, given what I've read here in the past I think there's reason to have some confidence in them.
All of JBG's new buildings in the area are going to flood from sewer backups if DC Water doesn't fix the undersized North East Branch Tunnel. The Rhapsody and Floridian are already experiencing this in big rains and the problem will only be compounded as more roofs are added draining into the undersized sewer.
The Rhapsody has known construction issues that cause their flooding on a regular basis. The Floridian has only suffered one flood event due to inadequate city sewer lines.
JBG has their own problems. aren't they the ones that had the collapse in Arlington?? And I second the notion about the sewer. Whoever gets to develop the properties ought to be footing the bill for an updated storm and sewer system. That's what other areas do and so should DC.
Smart development on that site will only help the sanitary sewer flooding issue. The site is currently 100% impervious paving that forces storm water into the city sewers. New development will be required to provide storm water detention facilities as well as pervious areas in the streetscape and possibly green roofs.
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